Jasprit Bumrah namedropped as Pakistan’s bowling woes exposed by Sanjay Manjrekar

There is no second thought that Pakistan’s pace attack that once terrorized the world of cricket has lost its sharpness. Pakistani fast bowlers, who dominated for years, no longer carry the same intimidation factor, and Sanjay Manjrekar admitted that their biggest strength has faded now.

It was evident during Pakistan’s humiliating 60-run loss to New Zealand in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener in Karachi, where the hosts had a great start, but later their bowlers failed to contain the flow of the runs and even struggled to outsmart the set batters.

Sanjay Manjrekar says Pakistan’s pace bowling is in crisis

Sanjay Manjrekar recalled India’s 2023 Asia Cup match against Pakistan in Sri Lanka, where they were showing early glimpses of brilliance, but the cracks soon became evident. He pointed out that Shaheen Afridi struggled to generate the same airspeed that made him unplayable in the past. His variations, which relied on that extra zip, lacked the same effectiveness.

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On the other hand, Haris Rauf hasn’t quite taken charge as a true leader of Pakistan’s pace attack, while Naseem Shah has been the most reliable of the lot. However, Manjrekar feels Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi have already seen their better days, given the team’s record.

Sanjay Manjrekar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo, “It was a kind of revelation for us in Sri Lanka when we had an encounter with Pakistan in the Asia Cup before the 2023 World Cup. We saw Shaheen Shah Afridi live up to expectations in the first game, which was rain affected, but as the tournament went on, we also got to see that Shaheen Shah Afridi wasn't the same bowler that he was before. The speed in the air had completely disappeared.”

Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi have seen better days: Sanjay Manjrekar

The commentator feels Pakistan’s bowling attack is so weak across the pace and spin department, so if they want to make a comeback in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the batter must step up and help them to post big totals to have any chance in the tournament.

Manjrekar further explained, “So, all the trickery that he had was not the same without the speed in the air. Haris Rauf had the pace but was not quite able to lead the attack like Jasprit Bumrah does with his fast bowling. Naseem Shah has emerged as the best bowler on form. Yes, fast bowling is their main strength. There is almost nothing in the spin department. But even in the fast bowling, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi have seen better days.”

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Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf failed to deliver for Pakistan in big events as a unit

Notably, Pakistan’s pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf has been considered their biggest strength, but the team’s record with all three playing together tells a different yet disappointing story in white-ball cricket.

Out of the 28 matches they have played together across ODIs and T20Is, Pakistan have managed to win only 14. In ODIs, their combination has not always delivered the expected results, as Pakistan has suffered four defeats, including two big losses in the Asia Cup 2023 against India and in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand.